Althouse: The bear "took my dog and then it came back to kill me. It had death in its eyes."

May 14, 2013

The bear "took my dog and then it came back to kill me. It had death in its eyes."

"This beast was thirsty for blood. This beast wanted to destroy... I figured my best chance was to run outside by the street so that someone could find me... He had four paws on top of me…he peeled my forehead skin to the back of my head off... Then, he turned me over and tried to bite my stomach and hips. That gave me just a few seconds to curl into a ball and protect my head, which exposed my arm pits and shoulder blades... It doesn’t feel anything. It is a merciless creature... By that time I could feel my body become lifeless... Out of nowhere I heard a horn and these two angles [sic] saved my life..."

Nothing would stop the merciless beast... except a car horn.

59 comments:

Synova said...: Oh, I think that the bear "feels" something. It either feels... "Dead enemy!" or else "Yummy supper!"

I'm sure glad the guy got rescued though.; 5/14/13, 9:00 PM
pm317 said...: No gun, just a car horn.; 5/14/13, 9:00 PM
Calypso Facto said...: Nothing would stop the merciless beast... except a car horn.

Or a car hit. Saw a dead black bear along the interstate near Osseo today.; 5/14/13, 9:01 PM
pm317 said...: Calypso Facto, Minnesota or Wisconsin?; 5/14/13, 9:04 PM
FullMoon said...: Same thing happened to me, once.; 5/14/13, 9:04 PM
SJ said...: @pm317,

Even regular pistol carriers rarely go loaded for bear.

Still, the gun you have is more useful than the gun you don't have...

From the story, this looks like an unpredictably-rare event. The man was at a cabin near a wilderness area. However, locals have not spoken of any bear trouble for years.; 5/14/13, 9:09 PM
edutcher said...: Back in Colonial times, black bears were to be scrupulously avoided.

Davy Crockett's ability to dispatch them was what originally made him such a celebrity.

Are the Canucks that PC that a man in the wilderness isn't allowed a firearm to protect him from the vicious fauna?; 5/14/13, 9:15 PM
Palladian said...: Another Andrew Sullivan post?!; 5/14/13, 9:15 PM
bagoh20 said...: This is exactly why when I go into the woods, the first thing I do is put a sign identifying my campsite as a mauling-free zone. If it saves one life...; 5/14/13, 9:19 PM
bagoh20 said...: Love the new cheerful avatar, Palladian.; 5/14/13, 9:21 PM
Palladian said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 5/14/13, 9:23 PM
Palladian said...: Love the new cheerful avatar, Palladian.

It reflects my sunny outlook and my prospects for the future; 5/14/13, 9:27 PM
Calypso Facto said...: Calypso Facto, Minnesota or Wisconsin?

Wisconsin; 5/14/13, 9:29 PM
chuck said...: There was a guy when I was in school who was attacked by a bear. It too bit his head and he could hear its teeth grinding on his skull. I don't remember much else of the story, but that stuck in my mind.; 5/14/13, 9:32 PM
Paul said...: So he had a “off-grid” cabin in the sticks and didn't have a gun?

Gotta hand it to him to commune with nature but you have to keep in mind that nature is one MURDIOUS beast.

So he lived there without a gun and is shocked something tried to eat him.; 5/14/13, 9:34 PM
Anonymous said...: Unbearable; 5/14/13, 9:35 PM
Paco Wové said...: I seem to recall that in general, if a grizzly attacks you it's because you pissed him (or her) off; if a black bear attacks you they want to eat you.; 5/14/13, 9:36 PM
bagoh20 said...: I worry about bears all the time (both the four-legged and two-legged), as I'm hiking, camping, watching TV, whatever. When backpacking, I sometimes carry a 9mm resin composite semi-auto handgun. Very compact and light. It's often illegal to do this, but I'd rather be raped by a bear in prison than eaten by one in the wild...I think, but then again, you can only be eaten once.

I don't want to take the legal risk with of having a gun where I'm not allowed, so I've been thinking about building a hiking stick with a long dagger tip hidden inside, that could become a spear if needed. I figure, that Indians did alright against even grizzlies with spears, so maybe I can too.

Bears are the scariest animals on land. They can out-run you, out-climb you, out-swim you, and break into any house, cabin, or car if they want to. There is no escaping them if they want you. Kind of like the IRS, but less hungry.; 5/14/13, 9:36 PM
KCFleming said...: This story is much better when read out loud in the style of Werner Herzog.; 5/14/13, 9:37 PM
Gahrie said...: Another Andrew Sullivan post?!

I see what you did there......; 5/14/13, 9:41 PM
Roger J. said...: I do a lot of wilderness canoe camping in northern Saskatchewan--If I sight a ber I move my camp as far away as I can--I never want an interaction when I am the second rung on the food chain.; 5/14/13, 9:46 PM
bagoh20 said...: There are people like park rangers, professional guides, or dedicated hikers that spend decades walking and sleeping in bear country all the time and never have a bear approach them, and some never even see one. This is very rare, but I bet every single bear attack is reported nationally. This is why I'm so scared of bears. If I ever saw one when I was alone in the woods unarmed, I would stink up the areas so bad, it would be uninhabitable.; 5/14/13, 9:50 PM
Anonymous said...: Speaking of Guns and Bears... A great Forest Service Study (Very very un-PC by today's standards:

http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/gtr152.pdf

The winner of their Rifle rounds? .458 Winchester Magnum e.g. an Elephant Gun.

best quotes:

We
selected a distance of 15 yards as the
“point of no return”-the distance at
which an obviously aggressive bear
must be stopped or a person risks
personal injury or death. We stress
“obviously aggressive,” a term for a
bear that is charging, with the assumed
intent of doing bodily harm.

In the past, most Forest Service professionals
working where brown bears
occur had personally acquired experience
with firearms. In recent years,
however, the Forest Service has
employed many persons with little or
no experience with firearms, and some
with a strong aversion to them.

The
rifles used for training are like those to
be carried in the field (that is, shortbarreled,
bolt-action, .375 Magnum).
Shooting this rifle may be very unpleasant
for some inexperienced persons.
They become more apprehensive
of the rifle (a known effect) than of the
bear (an unknown effect).; 5/14/13, 10:18 PM
Illuninati said...: Bears have been known to attack and eat people, so this might be natural behavior. On the other hand, killing the dog and leaving a perfectly good meal doesn't sound like a starving bear. The extreme attack raises the possibility that it was rabid.; 5/14/13, 10:21 PM
J said...: Every bear attack I have ever read about the bear always bites the head.With more people communing with Nature there will be more.; 5/14/13, 10:30 PM
J said...: And bears will kill more than one critter at a time and create food safes to tenderize the meat.Especially in the Spring when they've just awakened from hibernation and are just Gawd awful hungry.; 5/14/13, 10:33 PM
Anonymous said...: And this little gem which can be summarized by one of the 'rules of gunfights"

"Ammo is cheap, life is expensive, anything worth shooting is worth shooting again."

The most important shot is the first
one. If not properly placed, it may also
be the last shot fired. If a bear goes
down on the first shot, continue to
shoot. Do not stop to observe the
effects of the shots but continue to aim
at vital areas and shoot until the bear
stays down and is still. When the bear
has stopped moving, reload, work your
way around behind the animal, staying
as far away as practical and possible,
and shoot again into the brain or spine.
Make sure the bear is dead. If the bear
is still active and the rifle is empty, try
to avoid the bear, reload, and continue
to try to kill it.; 5/14/13, 10:35 PM
Oso Negro said...: Fucking bears. We worked so hard to get rid of them in the first place, then back they come. Having stood once between the bear and my family armed with nothing but boulders, I swore it would never happen again. I go loaded for bear.; 5/14/13, 10:44 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: “This has not discouraged me. I will be going back to my camp, but I think safety will be more of a concern,” he said.

Translation:

"I will be stopping by the gun shop on the way back to the cabin."; 5/14/13, 10:45 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: This story makes me think that hiking is probably overrated.; 5/14/13, 10:47 PM
Astro said...: What? Did The Reader's Digest already run its quota of bear-mauling stories this year?; 5/14/13, 10:54 PM
bagoh20 said...: He was sitting on the porch holding a puppy, so that's what you have to avoid. Never mix porches and puppies.; 5/14/13, 10:54 PM
bagoh20 said...: I wouldn't be scared if I had a gun, even an inadequate gun. What scares me is being treated like a common squirrel in my final moments, to go down without a fight, without landing a single blow. I want to ruin his meal with the taste of gunpowder and lead as befits a top predator, an eater of cows and Pop Tarts, a California driver, and a homeowner with a mortgage in good standing. Booyah! Oh snap!; 5/14/13, 11:03 PM
ndspinelli said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 5/14/13, 11:23 PM
William said...: There's no better way of becoming one with nature than by passing through the jaws and intestines of a bear. You can really feel the giddy whirl of the circle of life when that bear bites down. I would prefer a grizzly. A brown bear is kind of tacky and diminishes the beauty of the moment. .; 5/15/13, 12:13 AM
Kirk Parker said...: edutcher,

"Are the Canucks that PC that a man in the wilderness isn't allowed a firearm to protect him from the vicious fauna? "

No, he can certainly have a rifle or shotgun, and ironically a large-caliber revolver with a long-enough barrel--i.e. one of the few sorts of handguns that might be marginally-effective against bear--is also permissible. Though I don't know how easy that permission is to get for a Canadian to own one, I understand as an American I could readily get an import/transport permit for mine if e.g. I were travelling through BC to Alaska or just traveling the wilds of northern BC. (It's all semi-auto pistols and small, concealable revolvers that are impossible to possess up north.)

bagoh2o,

Please don't rely on your 9mm to do anything to bear except for perhaps make it wander off due to the unpleasant sound. Sure, you might get lucky and hit just the right place, but for smaller black bear the stoutest loading of .357mag you can manage is in order. For bigger black bear and for brown bear it's .44mag, or better yet one of the even larger pistol calibers.

Ah, heck, forget all that, just keep one of these close at hand.; 5/15/13, 1:39 AM
Fritz said...: We need to re-establish bears in Central Park and Rock Creek Parks. That's part of their natural range.; 5/15/13, 6:09 AM
jyoti sweet said...: Vintage Leather Sofas The English Sofa Company Four Seater Leather Sofa - Vintage Bruciato. The Abbey features large flat arms, giving it a modern appearence. The depth of the sofa allows for a generous seating area that is perfect for lounging.
That sofa needs to be in possession. Immediately! I can’t get over how amazing it turned out!
(sending love to the dresser as well!); 5/15/13, 6:10 AM
Nomennovum said...: This is why Western Europeans killed off their bears and wolves and tamed their wilderness many centuries ago. Self-presrvation. If only modern day Americans were half as smart.; 5/15/13, 6:21 AM
Nomennovum said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 5/15/13, 6:21 AM
Nomennovum said...: Whoops. And Canadians. Especially those dumb Canadians.; 5/15/13, 6:23 AM
Big Mike said...: When you live in the wilderness and don't own a gun whose caliber starts with a period and the digit four, you better pray for angles driving a car.; 5/15/13, 6:32 AM
J said...: I don't know but a truly substantial rifle with heavy bullets like a 338 or 375 might be enough.But how many people practise enough with a bolt to work it fast enough? That 1895 looks good but finding 450 Marlin?; 5/15/13, 6:45 AM
rhhardin said...: Always take somebody you can outrun into the woods with you.; 5/15/13, 7:30 AM
bagoh20 said...: "Please don't rely on your 9mm to do anything to bear"

I think once I deliver the Dirty Harry line about him feeling lucky, he'll back down, but even if he doesn't, I've spent hours watching Austin Powers movies, and I know a couple judo moves that'll change his mind real quick.; 5/15/13, 7:38 AM
Firehand said...: As to the 'only when provoked' idea, I remember reading of a group back in the 1950's asking an old park ranger in Yellowstone about that regarding grizzlies; he said "Absolutely true." The one pushing the idea started the "I told you so!" routine when the old ranger held up a hand and said "Something you have to remember: you don't decide what provocation is; the bear does. And you breathing might be it."; 5/15/13, 7:55 AM
Anonymous said...: I don't know but a truly substantial rifle with heavy bullets like a 338 or 375 might be enough.But how many people practise enough with a bolt to work it fast enough? That 1895 looks good but finding 450 Marlin?

Finding any ammunition today would be a challenge. There's an extreme nationwide ammunition shortage, with many calibers sold out everywhere. Those types which are available are so scarce that many gun stores are selling only to regular customers.

Peter; 5/15/13, 8:07 AM
Kevin said...: When this happened to me, Jaime Lannister jumped down into the pit in front of me. No weapon, only one hand, he was very brave.; 5/15/13, 8:10 AM
sakredkow said...: This story is much better when read out loud in the style of Werner Herzog.

That was pretty funny.; 5/15/13, 8:19 AM
Larry Davis said...: Kevin aka Brienne of Tarth; 5/15/13, 8:39 AM
Larry Davis said...: Kevin aka Brienne of Tarth; 5/15/13, 8:39 AM
Michelle Dulak Thomson said...: Nice that we have an Oso Negro right here to offer a black bear's perspective...; 5/15/13, 9:31 AM
David said...: Two women stopped the beast.

With noting more than a car horn.

Women are awesome.; 5/15/13, 9:49 AM
Kirk Parker said...: Jeff,

GIYF.

(I have no commercial relationship with Buffalo Bore, just a very satisfied customer. BUT of course these aren't cheap.); 5/15/13, 10:29 AM
Michael K said...: The Marlin 450 is out of stock. One of these in 44 calibre would work and they are light.; 5/15/13, 1:27 PM
Michael McNeil said...: I would prefer a grizzly. A brown bear is kind of tacky and diminishes the beauty of the moment.

Grizzlies are brown bears.; 5/15/13, 4:46 PM
Anonymous said...: But, but Grizzly is a cooler name.

PS: Genetically, Polars are pretty much Blond Grizzlies with swimming lessons

PPS: Grizzlies hunt blacks for food.

PPPS: Black Bears; 5/15/13, 5:42 PM
Anonymous said...: Michael K said... 44 mag bang stick

Michael given that

1. the Forest Service analysis says that the 44mag, though the best of the pistol rounds, it was behind like 30 rifle rounds, with 1/10th of the score.

2. in order to have a chance, you'd have to apply it to the skull of a bear, or the skull under water, and your bear is charging at 30 mph flailing with paws. Even a bear kill at 4 feet will kill you.

3. You have one shot with the bang stick and the advice from the Forest service is to empty the mag, and stay back till you can reload and empty another, leaves me less than confident...; 5/15/13, 5:50 PM
Chip S. said...: Nearly impossible to believe, but this doesn't seem to have been said here yet.; 5/15/13, 6:37 PM